Fear
by Nausicaa of the Spirits
Summary: Helen Krelborn couldn't quite explain it, but something seemed off about that plant.
1. Diary Entry

Summary: Helen Krelborn couldn't quite explain it, but something seemed off about that plant.

Disclaimer: I do not own the movie, Little Shop of Horrors, or any of the characters. The only thing I own is Helen Krelborn.

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><p><em>October 29, 1960<em>

_My hand trembles even as I write this new entry after having one of my nightmares about the Audrey II, diary. My brother's been acting weird ever since he first brought that plant into the shop and that plant began growing (you should see it now, it's so big it's almost touching the ceiling). My nightmares about the Audrey II haven't let up. They've been growing increasingly worse and even more realistic ever since Mr. Mushnik disappeared and the shop gained more attention from the media. And I can't help but wonder what the nightmares are trying to tell me. One of the last nightmares I had of the Audrey II was about Audrey II eating Mr. Mushnik and Seymour just standing by and watching. Seymour hasn't been telling me something and I'm starting to wonder if..._

_Diary, I'm scared, no, afraid. Something is off about that plant, but I don't know what. I can only hope that I will find out, yet I shudder to think about what will happen when and if I do._


	2. Just Another Ordinary Day on Skid Row

Thanks to **showtunediva** (Don't worry, you'll get your answer soon) and **Subuku no Jess** for reviewing!

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><p><em>On the 23rd day of the month of September, in an early year of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence.<em>

_And this terrifying enemy surfaced, as such terrifying enemies do, in the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places._

It was another day at Mr. Mushnik's flower shop, devoid of customers. But then again, when hasn't the flower shop been devoid of customers?

Helen sighed and brushed her short messy brown hair out of her green eyes, as she thought, _Just another ordinary day on Skid Row._

She was busy watering the flowers, while Mr. Mushnik was standing at the counter, reading the newspaper when they both heard a resounding crash come from downstairs.

"Seymour, what's going on down there?" Mr. Mushnik called down into the basement.

"Very little, Mr. Mushnik!" She heard her little brother call out.

Mr. Mushnik went back to reading the newspaper. Helen was considering going downstairs to check on her brother, before she saw her friend, Audrey, come out of her apartment and walk across the street to the shop.

Once she came in, Helen smirked, as she commented, "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in."

"Um, good morning, Helen, Mr. Mushnik," Audrey said, as she made her way to the back room.

"What morning?" Mushnik said. "It's almost closing time! Not that we had a customer." There was another crash from downstairs and Mushnik called out, "Seymour, what in the name of God is going on down there?" When there was no response, Mushnik said, "Helen, Audrey, would you two go downstairs and see what he's-" But then, Mushnik saw Audrey examining her face in a compact mirror. And Helen noticed what looked to be a black eye on Audrey's face. "Audrey, where'd you get that shiner?" Mushnik said, beating Helen to the question.

"Uh, shiner?" Audrey said, putting her compact mirror away and walking away.

"Don't play dumb, Audrey," Helen said. "You know what Mr. Mushnik's talking about."

"Audrey, that greasy boyfriend of yours been beating up on you again?" asked Mushnik. "Look, I know it's none of my business, but I'm beginning to think maybe he's not such a nice guy."

Just then, her brother came upstairs, carrying a box full of pots, but he ended up tripping on the stairs and falling over, causing most of the pots to shatter.

"Seymour, look what you've done to the inventory!" Mushnik said.

Audrey rushed over to help Seymour clean up the mess, as she said, "Don't yell at Seymour, Mr. Mushnik."

As she knelt down, Helen noticed Seymour smile and blush, as he said, "Hi, Audrey. You look radiant today." He then noticed her black eye and asked, "Is that new eye make-up?"

Sensing the need to change the subject, Audrey said, "Uh, I'll help him clean it up before any of the customers get here."

As she went out back, Mushnik said, "That should give you plenty of time. Oh, God, what an existence I've got. Misfit employees, bums on the sidewalk, business is lousy. My life is a living hell!" But then, he shouted, "Hey, you! Urchins!" He knocked on the window, and three girls, who Helen recognized as Crystal, Chiffon, and Ronette, and had just been hanging out in front of the shop, turned and walked away, as he yelled, "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Move, move! Move, get away! No loitering!"

He then walked outside, just to make sure the girls were leaving and Helen opened the door a little to listen to Mushnik and the girls.

She heard Mushnik call out, "So? How do you tend to better yourselves?"

"Better ourselves?" Crystal said, sounding amused. "You heard what he said, 'better ourselves?' Mister, when you're from Skid Row, ain't no such thing!"


	3. Audrey II

Thanks to **Subuku no Jess** for reviewing!

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><p>Moments later, the four were standing around, waiting for customers, even though it was quite obvious no one was going to come in, but that didn't stop them from hoping.<p>

Helen was leaning against a support, beginning to nod off where she was standing, until Mr. Mushnik slammed the counter, startling everyone, and said, "Alright! That's it! Forget it. Don't bother coming in tomorrow."

"You-You don't mean," Audrey said.

"You can't!" Seymour said.

"I mean, I'm through, forget it!" Mushnik said. "Kaput!"

"But you can't!" Helen said.

"Kaput, extinct," Mushnik said. "I'm closing this God and customer-forsaken place!"

"Uh, Mr. Mushnik," Seymour said, "forgive me for saying so, sir, but has it ever occurred to you that what the firm needs is to move in a new direction?"

Mushnik gave him a look and Audrey said, "Uh, what Seymour's trying to say is…uh, Seymour, why don't you run downstairs and bring up that strange and interesting new plant you've been working on?"

That caught Helen's attention.

_What plant?_ She thought.

As her brother went downstairs, Audrey then said to Mushnik, "You see, Mr. Mushnik, some of those weird plants Seymour's been tinkering around with are really…unusual. And we thought that maybe some of these strange and interesting plants, prominently displayed and advertised, would possibly attract customers."

Soon enough, Seymour came upstairs, carrying a plant.

_What the hell is that?_ Helen thought.

"I'm afraid it isn't feeling very well today," Seymour said, as Helen, Audrey, and Mushnik came over to get a better look at the plant.

"There," Audrey said. "Now, isn't that bizarre?"

"At least," Mushnik said. "What kind of a weirdo plant is that?"

"I don't know," Seymour said. "I think it's some kind of flytrap, but I haven't been able to identify it in any of my books. I gave it my own name though. I call it an Audrey II."

"After me?" asked Audrey, looking flattered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Helen muttered under her breath.

She'd known of her brother's crush on Audrey and she approved of it. She could easily see her brother and Audrey together, but not Audrey and her current boyfriend, Orin Scrivello, whom Helen didn't like as she had caught him ogling her more than once whenever he came over to the shop to pick Audrey up, if she was working late. He usually stopped when Audrey came in, but mostly when Helen flipped him off or gave him one of her infamous death glares. If there was one thing she hated about him, it was when he 'accidentally' dropped stuff just to get a look at her cleavage as she bent down to pick up an item even if she was wearing a modest shirt or dress.

"If you don't mind," Seymour said to Audrey, before he walked over to the window and set it down. "You see, sir, if you were to put, uh, a strange and interesting plant like this here in the window, then-then maybe-"

"Maybe what? Maybe what?" Mushnik said. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? Just because you put a strange and interesting plant in the window people don't suddenly-"

He was cut off by the miraculous sound of the bell, announcing a long-awaited customer. The customer didn't look like any of the people Helen had seen passing the shop more than once.

"Excuse me," he said. "I couldn't help noticing that strange and interesting plant. What is it?"

"It's an Audrey II," Audrey said.

"I've never seen anything like it before," the customer said.

"No one has," Seymour said.

"Where did you get it?" The customer asked.

"Well…remember that total eclipse of the sun about a week ago?"

Helen didn't listen to the story after that. She was more focused on the plant. She couldn't quite explain it, but something seemed off about that plant. And the customer, the way he was speaking…he sounded as if he were being controlled by someone or something.

"Well, that's an unusual story, and a fascinating plant," the man said, before he left the shop and Helen, Mushnik, Seymour, and Audrey to look at each other in dismay when he suddenly came back pulling out his wallet. "Oh, while I'm here, I might as well take fifty dollars' worth of roses."

"Fifty dollars!" Mushnik exclaimed in excitement, before the four hurried off to get to work, until the customer asked, "Can you break a hundred?"

"A hundred?" Mushnik said, before he turned and said, "No."

"Well, then I'll just have to take twice as many, won't I?" The customer said.

"Twice as many?" Seymour asked in shock.

Helen and Audrey looked just as shocked, wondering if they had heard right, as they parroted, "Twice as many!"

Mushnik looked like he couldn't believe his luck, as he said, "Twice as many!"

From that time onward, the shop was filled with more customers, coming either to buy plants or look at the Audrey II. Right after the unexpected rush, the customers filed out with their flower purchases in hand.

"Thank you! Thank you very much, sir! Thank you! Thank you! Come again! Come and look at the weirdo plant some more!" Mushnik called after the departing customers. "It's just going to get bigger and more interesting." Then Mushnik said to Seymour, "Just don't stand there! Quick, quick! Put that plant back…what did you call it?"

"Audrey II," Seymour said.

"Put that Audrey II back in the window where passersby can see it!" Mushnik said. "Oh my God! I never thought this could happen! My children, I'm taking us all out to dinner tonight!"

Unfortunately, Audrey said, "Oh, I'd love to, Mr. Mushnik, but I have a date."

"With that saint-no-good-nik?" Mushnik said.

"Who else, Mushnik?" Helen said.

"I'm telling you, Audrey," Mushnik said. "You don't need a date with him. You need a major medical."

"He's a rebel, Mr. Mushnik," Audrey said, as she walked away, "but he makes good money."

Helen scoffed and said, "Makes good money, my ass."

"Besides," Audrey continued, not having heard Helen. Either that or she heard Helen and was pretending not to. "He's the only fella I got. Enjoy dinner. Good night, Seymour."

As Audrey walked out of the shop to her apartment to get ready for her date, Seymour said, "Good night, Audrey."

"Poor girl," Mushnik commented, watching her leave.

"Here's hoping she lives through this date," Helen said. "If she doesn't, I'll do the flower arrangement for her funeral." _And file a restraining order against Scrivello if he tries hitting on me,_ Helen added silently.

That was when Seymour asked, "Are we still going out?"

Before Mushnik could answer, the Audrey II suddenly wilted.

"You're not going anywhere, Krelborn," Mushnik said. "You're staying right here and taking care of that sick plant!"

"I told you it's been giving me trouble," Seymour said, as Mushnik went to get his coat. "The Audrey II is not a healthy girl."

"Strictly between us, neither is the Audrey I," Mushnik said.

"Words that have never been spoken so true, Mr. Mushnik," Helen said.

"If I only knew what breed it was," Seymour said.

"Who cares what breed it is?" Mushnik said. "Look what it's done for business."

"I know," Seymour said.

"So, work, Seymour," Mushnik said. "Nurse this plant back to health. I'm counting on you."

"I know," Seymour said again.

"You do?"

"I do."

"So, fix. Good night."

Mushnik left and a couple moments later, Helen put her coat on and grabbed her bag, leaving the shop to go buy some dinner for herself and Seymour, with a parting, "Out to get dinner. Won't be long."

After gathering up some dinner, Helen sat in a booth to write in her diary and have a quick smoke.

_September 23, 1960_

_Well, diary, you're not gonna believe this, but today, we finally got a customer. Actually, not one customer, more than one. Probably around a dozen or more! Why, you ask? Well, it's all because of a 'strange and interesting plant' Seymour found. He calls it an Audrey II. If you're wondering how this happened, let me fill you in._

_Today would've been just another ordinary day. Mushnik was about ready to throw in the towel and close the shop for good. But then, Seymour mentioned that maybe what Mushnik needed was to push the firm in another direction and brought up the plant I mentioned a while ago. He thought that if he set it in the window, then maybe we might get a customer, and wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, we did! He wanted to buy fifty dollars' worth of roses, hell, when he asked if we could break 100 and Mushnik said we couldn't, he said he'd take twice as many!_

_Right after this customer, more customers came filing in, either to buy flowers or look at the Audrey II. All in all, I guess you could say that today was a successful day. But now I'm having an odd feeling about that plant. Something weird happened the minute Seymour put that plant in the window. I don't know if I'm just imagining things, but the way the customer was speaking, he sounded like he was being controlled by someone or something. There's something weird about that plant, diary, but I could just be imagining things. Well, have to wrap up. I gotta go back to the flower shop, before Seymour's dinner gets cold. I'll write in you again tomorrow!_

When Helen got back to the flower shop, she noticed that Seymour's finger was bandaged up and he explained to her that he had accidentally pricked his finger on a rose. Helen seemed to sense more than what Seymour was telling her, but decided not to press the subject further. And that very night, she had a strange dream and the only thing she could remember about it was the Audrey II.


	4. A Talk about Orin and Low Self Esteem

Thanks to **Subuku no Jess** and **Brambleshadow of WindClan** for reviewing!

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><p>The next day, Helen sat at the counter, alone in the shop, puzzling over the dream she'd had last night. It had been about Audrey II, that had been the only thing she'd remembered about it, but aside from the plant, she couldn't remember anything else in the dream.<p>

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a motorbike outside of the shop. She sighed and began praying that it wouldn't pull up by the shop, but all her hope was for naught, as she heard the engine die down.

"Oh, God, just kill me now," she muttered to herself, as she glanced at the clock. It was 3:00.

_Huh,_ she thought to herself. _Earlier than usual._

She sighed and immediately began to get to work, silently cursing Seymour (who had gone down to the radio station to talk about the new plant) and Mr. Mushnik (who had gone out to do some business) for stepping out of the shop when she really needed them the most, herself for just choosing to wear one of her immodest shirts on the day that Orin had to come to the shop and pick up Audrey for their date, and flirt with-no, more like sexually harass her, but mostly Audrey for having to have a perverted boyfriend like him. She finally decided on just watering the plants when the door opened and she tried her best to keep her fear and annoyance under control, as Orin stepped in.

"Well, hello, Helen," she heard Orin say.

Helen struggled to keep her voice even, as she said, without looking at him, "Orin Scrivello, you have twenty seconds to get Audrey and your sorry ass out of this shop before I do something I won't regret."

She tried not to shiver as he stepped over to where she was standing and said, "And what'll you do if I don't?"

She tensed up as she felt his hand rub the back of her leg and slowly travel upward to that spot that is considered off-limits until marriage, until she turned around and slapped him.

"Bastard," she spat in his face.

"Why, you!" Orin said, grabbing her roughly by the hair.

But then, she heard that familiar, soft-spoken voice, "Orin?"

She felt Orin let go of her hair and she dropped to the floor, rubbing her scalp. Audrey was standing in the doorway of the back room, and Helen was hoping and praying that Audrey had hopefully seen everything that had transpired when Orin had stepped into the shop, but she was proved wrong yet again, as Audrey walked out of the shop with Orin and she heard the sound of the motorbike peeling away.

"Good riddance," Helen muttered to herself.

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><p>Later that night, after closing time, Helen had turned the radio on, while Mr. Mushnik was busy counting the money from today's profit, before he walked over to Helen, as she turned up the radio, as the interviewer said, "And thus, we conclude our interview with Seymour Krelborn, the young botanical, do you mind if I call you genius?"<p>

"Gosh no," her brother said modestly.

"The genius who has discovered this amazing, unidentified plant," the interviewer said.

At that moment, Audrey knocked on the door and Helen rushed over to let her in.

"Am I late?" asked Audrey.

Mushnik shushed her, as the two girls ran over to the radio. The interview had come to an end and Mushnik yelled into the radio, as if Seymour could hear him, "The address! The address! I said, mention the address!" But it was too late. "Oh well," Mushnik said, as he turned off the radio. "It's still good advertising."

"Seymour's first radio broadcast," Audrey said, as Mushnik turned out the lights and he, Audrey, and Helen walked out of the shop. "I wanted to hear it so bad. I tried to be on time, but-"

"Don't tell me," Mushnik said, as he locked up the shop. "You got tied up."

"No, just handcuffed a little," Audrey said.

As Mushnik left, Helen sighed and said, as she followed Audrey to her apartment, "Audrey, let's you and me have a little talk."

"Well, sure," Audrey said, as they both walked into her apartment. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Oh, nothing much, really," Helen said, innocently. "How about, oh, I don't know, your boyfriend?"

"What about him?" asked Audrey.

"Audrey, don't tell me you didn't see what he was doing to me from the back room," Helen said. "Or are you just so caught up in those desperate reassurances of 'he does it because he loves me' to not even notice? I'm telling you, you gotta dump that guy!"

"But, I can't," Audrey protested.

"And why not?" asked Helen.

"You saw what he does when he loves me," Audrey said. "Imagine what he'd do if he ever got mad!"

"All the more reason for you to dump him," Helen said. "I mean the least you could do is call the police or better yet, get a guy who won't hurt you. Like my brother for starters!"

"Seymour?" Audrey said. "Oh, we're just friends. I don't even deserve a sweet, considerate, suddenly successful guy like Seymour."

"Audrey," Helen said with a sigh. "The more you keep saying that, the lower your self-esteem gets. I've seen the way my brother looks at you when he thinks you're not looking. He loves you with all his heart and he'd do anything for you." Helen walked to the door, telling her, "Think about it."

And then she left, leaving Audrey alone to consider what Helen had told her.


	5. Consideration

The next day, business was once again booming. The one thing Helen had noticed when they had opened the flower shop was that Audrey II had gotten bigger so that he was the size of a door. Not only that, but her brother looked a little sickly, anemic if she didn't know any better, and there were more bandages on his fingers. Of course, Helen had pushed that from her thoughts, as she and Audrey worked on flower arrangements when her brother came rushing into the back room where they were working.

"Girls, quick!" Seymour said to Helen and Audrey. "We've got to do an emergency arrangement."

"Birthday?" Audrey said. "Wedding? Baby?"

"Funeral," Seymour said.

"Get the lilies," Helen told her brother.

"Mr. Mushnik's real mad at me," Seymour said, as he handed Helen and Audrey the lilies and Helen put the lilies in a vase. "I keep forgetting things."

"Scissors," Audrey said, and Seymour handed her the scissors. "You've got a lot on your mind."

Mushnik came into the back room and said, "Mind? What mind? The Shivas are our biggest funeral account. A huge enormous family, they're dropping off like flies!"

As Mushnik walked out of the back room, Audrey said, "Sometimes I think Mr. Mushnik's too hard on you and Helen. Glue."

Seymour handed her the glue and said, "That's okay. Helen and I owe him everything."

"Glitter," Helen said.

"He took me and Helen out of the Skid Row Home for Orphans when we were little kids," Seymour said, handing his sister the glitter. Helen flung the glitter onto the flowers, as Seymour added, "Gave us both a warm place to stay, floors to sweep, toilets to clean, and every other Sunday off."

"You know I think you ought to raise your expectations, Seymour," Audrey said. "Now that you're getting successful, I mean. It's clear you suffer from a low self-image."

"Oh, like you don't?" Helen said, under her breath.

"It's high time you get it fixed," Audrey said. "Why don't you go out and do something nice for yourself, like buy some new clothes?"

"Well, I'm a very bad shopper, Audrey," Seymour said. "I don't have good taste like you."

"Oh. Well, I could help you pick things out," Audrey said.

Helen glanced over, starting to realize that Audrey might've taken her words from last night into consideration, as Seymour said, "You could?"

"Sure," Audrey said.

"You'd go shopping with me?"

"Sure."

"You'd be seen with me in a public place like a department store?"

"Sure."

"Tonight?"

"Oh, I can't tonight," Audrey said. "I got a date."

Whatever hopes Helen had that Audrey had taken her words into consideration crashed to the ground and burned.

"Again, this date?" Mushnik said, having listened in to Seymour and Audrey's conversation. Seymour walked out of the back room with the flower arrangement, as Mushnik said, "Some date. A date gives you a corsage, not a multiple fracture. I'm telling you, he's not a good, clean kind of a boy."

"He's a professional," Audrey said, as if that made up for all the stuff her boyfriend did to her.

"Oh-ho," Helen said, "then tell me this, Audrey. What kind of a professional drives a motorcycle and wears a black leather jacket?"

Then she went right back to working on her flower arrangements without waiting for an answer from Audrey.


	6. Of Nightmares and Paranoia

_"Seymour, could you tell me what's going on?" Helen asked, sleepily, dressed in her night gown, as her brother dragged her up the stairs into the shop, having woken her up from whatever sleep she'd been trying to get. She noticed that he looked scared about something, but she didn't know what._

_"We're leaving this place, Helen," Seymour told her, "for good."_

_"Really?" Helen said._

_Seymour nodded and quickly pointed at the counter, saying, "Wait here. I'm gonna get Audrey and be back soon."_

_He started to leave, but Helen shook her head and grabbed his arm, saying, "No, don't leave me! I don't wanna be alone." silently adding, '_Don't leave me alone with the plant.'

_"I promise I'll be back," Seymour told her. "I won't be long."_

_Helen reluctantly let go of his arm and he quickly left the shop, going out through the exit to the alley. She gulped nervously. She was scared beyond belief and being alone in the shop with the plant just intensified her fears. It had been a long time since she'd prayed, but now was as good a time as any to. She shut her eyes and clasped her hands, silently praying for her brother to hurry up. The sooner he got back, the better. And then she heard it. A deep singing voice._

_**Hey, little lady, hello**_

_Helen's head shot up and she looked around._

_"Huh, who said that?" She said._

_**You're lookin' cute as can be**_

_"Hello? Is someone here?" Helen called, as she stepped away from the counter._

_Her brother had said 'stay here.' He hadn't exactly told her to stay by the counter._

_**You're lookin' mighty sweet**_

_"Seymour?" Helen called out. "Is that you?"_

_And then, she heard the voice directly behind her._

_**No, it ain't Seymour**_

_**It's me!**_

_She turned around and gasped when she saw who had spoken. It was the plant!_

_"Oh my God…" Helen said in shock._

_**The name is Audrey II**_

_**This plant is talkin'**_

_The plant gestured to her with its vine, as he said, "To you!"_

_"I-I don't believe it," Helen said, wondering if she'd been smoking something instead of her usual cigarette._

_"Believe it, baby," Audrey II said to her. "It talks!"_

_"A-Am I having some kind of weird drug-induced dream?" Helen asked, as she blinked in confusion and looked around as if somebody other than the plant in front of her could give her the answer._

_"No," Audrey II told her, "and you ain't in Kansas neither."_

_"Something's wrong here," Helen said to herself._

_"Do me a favor, would you, puddin' pie?" The plant said._

_"Uh…sure?" Helen said._

_"I need me some water in the worst way," Audrey II said. "Look at my branches. I'm drying up. I'm a goner, honey!" Then he sang._

_**Come on and give me a drink**_

_"Well, I dunno if I should," Helen said, starting to get a little wary._

_**Hey, little lady, be nice**_

_Helen started to let her guard down a little, as she said, "Well, if that's all you need?"_

_**Sure do, I'll drink it straight**_

_Helen took a look at the plant's branches, before she said, "Your leaves are dry, you poor thing."_

_**Don't need no glass or no ice**_

_"Alright, where did my brother put that can?" Helen said, as she walked behind the counter to find the watering can._

_**Don't need no twist of lime**_

_Finally, Helen found the can and said, "Here we go!"_

_And then the plant said, "_**AND NOW IT'S SUPPERTIME!**_"_

_Before Helen had time to react, a vine wrapped around her hand, forcing her to drop the watering can, while another vine wrapped around her wrist and another vine draped itself around her shoulder and wrapped around her waist._

_"Hey!" Helen shrieked, as the plant laughed evilly and told her, "Oh, relax, doll face, and it'll be easier!"_

_Helen started screaming, as the plant's vines began to drag her towards its maw and she tried to drag her feet into the ground, to no avail. Once the vines had pulled her into the plant's maw, Helen continued screaming, as the plant bit down on her again and again, before she was all the way in and she lost all consciousness, after the plant's teeth had punctured her sides. She didn't even feel herself slide down into the plant's stomach, heck, she had the feeling that her body wasn't even moving or breathing. And then she heard the front door open and her brother search for her._

_"Helen?" She heard him call out. "Helen, where are you?"_

_"Helen ain't here, Seymour," Helen heard the plant say to her brother._

Helen woke up with a scream and started gasping in shock, before she quickly looked around. She was in the room that she and her brother shared, dressed in her nightgown. She quickly ran into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, before she looked herself over in the mirror. Her hair wasn't any more messy than it already was, her body didn't have any puncture wounds, and her nightgown wasn't messed up or stained with blood.

"Just a dream, Helen," she said to herself. "That's all it was. Just a dream."

Turning the faucet on the sink to cold, she began washing her mouth of the taste of bad dream.

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><p>The next day, Helen was the only one in the flower shop to do closing. Seymour had gone out to the dentist and Mr. Mushnik was out, getting some business done. After Helen had finished closing, she sat down at the counter and pulled out her diary. Just, as she pulled out her pen, she accidentally dropped it and it rolled across the floor, stopping a little past Audrey II.<p>

"Shit," Helen swore, before she walked over to get the pen.

But, as she was walking over to where the pen was, she failed to notice two vines from the plant snaking over to her. Once she stopped where her pen was and turned her back to the plant, the two vines rose up behind her and attempted to grab her, but missed as she bent down and picked up her pen. When she picked it up, she had the feeling something was behind her and the vines quickly dropped to the floor, as she turned around. Nothing was there. Just the plant and two vines laying at her feet.

Weird. She'd remembered that the vines had been right by the door close to the counter near its pot. Having an uneasy feeling, she walked briskly back over to the counter. Maybe she was being paranoid or her nightmare from last night was getting to her, but she didn't wanna move the vines back to where they were supposed to be. She was afraid that if she did, the plant just might come alive on the spot and eat her.

_Easy, Helen,_ she thought. _It's just your nightmare getting to you._

Once nighttime came, Helen went to bed early and fell into a deep sleep. And as she slept, she didn't hear a voice saying, "Chop it up. Feed me!" the sounds of an axe chopping something up, something being fed to something, or even the sound of laughing.


	7. The Argument

Thanks to **Subuku no Jess** for reviewing!

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><p>The next morning, Helen had gone out for a walk, early in the morning. Yet another nightmare about Audrey II had plagued her sleep last night. The same as the one she had had the night before, except this time, Seymour had come in as the plant was eating her. She had been screaming desperately at him to help her, but he'd only stood there, frozen in fear and helplessness.<p>

_Maybe I'm just being silly about this,_ thought Helen. _I mean, it's just a plant, not a man-eating plant or one that can talk, right?_

With a sigh, Helen went in to the shop through the alleyway entrance. When she entered, she noticed something odd. There was something red-blood-all over the floor and it stopped right in front of the plant. Seeing that the blood went towards the alleyway entrance, Helen began following the trail, until she came out in the back near the garbage. Peering into the garbage can, she noticed several newspapers most of them covered in blood and an axe leaning against the wall with blood on the blade. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought that someone or something had been slaughtered. Deciding to think nothing of it, Helen went back into the shop.

* * *

><p>That night, Helen was dressed in her nightgown, writing in her diary, when her brother came in, looking lovestruck. One look was enough to convince Helen that Audrey had finally come to her senses.<p>

She smiled, thinking, _Seymour, you lucky dog, you._ before she went back to writing, as she watched her brother lie down on his bed.

"You love her madly, don't you, schmuck?"

The two jumped and turned to see who had spoken. It was Mr. Mushnik.

"Mr. Mushnik, you scared us," Seymour said.

And that was when Helen noticed a funny look on Mushnik's face.

"I scared him?" Mushnik said, before he turned to Helen and said, "After what I've seen, I scared him?" Helen looked at him with a puzzled look on her face, as he turned back to Seymour and said, "Do you think I didn't know, huh? Oh, I knew. I knew you'd lay down here on your pathetic cot and dream about her. But I didn't know the lengths to which you'd go, the depths to which you'd sink!"

Helen looked even more puzzled as she glanced back and forth between her brother and Mr. Mushnik and said, "What depths? What sink?" Then she turned to her brother and asked, "Seymour, what the hell is he talking about?"

"Little red dots all over the linoleum," Mushnik told her. "Little red spots on the concrete outside." He then turned to her brother and said, "I'm talking blood, Krelborn. I'm talking under my own roof." He then pulled out the bloody axe Helen had found this morning, as he said, "An axe murderer!"

A shocked and horrified look crossed Helen's face, as she stood up and turned to her brother. But, just as she did, she heard a voice coming from upstairs. One that sounded somewhat familiar to her.

_**He's got your number now**_

Mushnik didn't seem to hear the voice, as he told her brother, "I saw everything."

_**He knows just what you've done**_

"Everything you did to her boyfriend," Mushnik continued.

_**You've got no place to hide**_

"I saw you chopping him," Mushnik added.

_**You've got nowhere to run**_

"It's true," her brother confessed. "I chopped him up, but I didn't kill him!"

_**He knows your life of crime**_

Seymour got up and Mushnik set the axe down and aimed a pistol at him, telling him, "Tell it to the police!"

_**I think it's suppertime**_

Helen just stood there in shock, as she watched her brother walk up the stairs, Mushnik aiming a gun at him the whole time, while hearing the voice continue,

_**Come on, come on  
><strong>__**Think about all those offers**_

_**Come on, come on  
><strong>__**Your future with Audrey**_

_**Come on, come on  
><strong>__**Ain't no time to turn squeamish**_

_**Come on!  
><strong>__**I swear on all my spores  
><strong>__**When he's gone, the world will be yours**_

When the door closed, Helen sank onto her bed, crying. It couldn't be, not Seymour, not her little brother. He couldn't hurt a fly. He always told her everything, so why didn't he tell her about this? Suddenly, she was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of chomping and Mushnik screaming, "Wait! Wait! over and over again and yelling in pain. Almost instantly, Helen wanted to run upstairs to see what had happened, but she remained where she was, before she fell into a deep and troubled sleep.

_She was standing in a corner of the room, watching as her brother and Mushnik walked past Audrey II towards the entrance. Her brother opened the door, but Mushnik shut the door._

_"You know, Krelborn," Mushnik said to her brother, "it kills me doing this. But, considering you're almost like a son to me, I'm thinking…maybe we don't have to go to the police."_

_"We don't?" Her brother asked._

_"I'm thinking," Mushnik said, "what if I kept my mouth shut and gave you and your sister a one-way ticket out of town?"_

_"You'd do that, sir?" Her brother asked and Mushnik nodded._

_"You two could lay low for a while, say 30, 40 years," Mushnik said. "Meanwhile, I would keep the plant."_

_"The plant?"_

_"Of course, you'd have to teach me how to take care of it while you're away. Give me your secret gardening tips. But then, if you'd rather hang…" Helen gulped at the thought and put a hand to her throat and then she noticed it. The plant slowly lowered its pod and opened its mouth, as Mushnik asked, "What do I have to do?"_

_"Just feed it," Seymour said._

_"Just feed it what?" Mushnik asked._

_"Well…minerals," her brother said, as he started to back Mushnik up towards the plant. _

_"No…Seymour, no," Helen muttered, shaking her head. He wouldn't!_

_"Thursdays, you should give it water," Seymour said, continuing to back Mushnik up to the plant. "But, whatever you do…"_

_"Yes?" asked Mushnik._

_"Whatever you do…" Seymour said._

_"Yes?" Mushnik said, before he looked behind him and noticed the plant's open pod. "What the hell is…?" He began, leaning into the plant's maw._

_"Sir!" Seymour said, but it was too late._

_The plant chopped down on Mushnik and Sey__mour shuddered, while Helen just stared in shock as she watched the plant eat up Mushnik._

_Seymour, what have you done? Why? How could you? Seymour, Seymour!_

"Helen, wake up!"

Helen awoke with a start and looked around, before she realized what had happened. Seymour had been trying to wake her up, but she had been fighting against him in her sleep.

"Seymour, what happened to Mushnik?" Helen asked, slowly, wondering if what she had just seen in her nightmare had come true.

"Helen…" Seymour began, but Helen said, "What happened to him, Seymour?"

"He-He was killed," Seymour told her.

"By what?" asked Helen.

"Nothing, just someone," Seymour said.

Helen frowned and said, "Who, Seymour?"

"I-I don't know," Seymour said.

"You don't know? You don't know?" Helen said. "Seymour, what haven't you been telling me?"

"I-I've been telling you everything," Seymour said.

"Don't give me any of that," Helen said. "I'm getting the feeling that you haven't been telling me everything. For starters, why was I seeing so many bandages on your fingers instead of the one I saw that night before you went to the radio station to advertise Audrey II?"

"You-You wouldn't understand!" Seymour said.

"I'm your sister, Seymour!" Helen yelled, getting frustrated. "We're supposed to share everything with each other, including secrets! If you would just tell me what's been happening around here since you brought that plant into the shop, I promise I'll never ask again! Just tell me what's going on."

"I-I can't," Seymour said.

"Just tell me, Seymour," Helen said. "I give my word that I'll understand!"

But he said, "No! You wouldn't understand and you probably never will!"

In an instant, he regretted his words as he saw Helen give him a sad and hurt look, before her face hardened and she went to grab her coat and put on her shoes, as she said, "Alright, if you won't tell me what's happening, fine. Have it your way."

"Helen, where are you going?" He asked.

"Out," Helen replied coldly, walking towards the stairs leading out of the place they lived.

"Helen," he began, as he followed her.

"Oh, for God's sake, Seymour," Helen said, without turning around, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

And with that, she walked out, slamming the door behind her and leaving Seymour alone. Seymour looked down, knowing it was his fault. His refusal to share with her what had been happening had hurt her deeply and had put an end to their brother-sister relationship.

* * *

><p>Outside of the shop, Helen sat beneath the window of the shop, hugging her legs and crying silently. She was hurt, both mentally and emotionally. Why couldn't he tell her what was happening?<p> 


	8. Fear

Thanks to **Subuku no Jess** for reviewing!

* * *

><p>Several weeks passed since the night of Mushnik's disappearance and Helen and Seymour's argument. The shop had gained even more popularity, not to mention publicity. And, on top of that, Helen hadn't spoken to Seymour since the argument and was going out of her way to avoid him. Audrey had noticed the tension and had offered to let Helen stay at her apartment, to which Helen readily agreed.<p>

And it was here in Audrey's apartment that Helen woke up from another nightmare about Audrey II, screaming. The nightmare had started out as it always did, Seymour leaving her alone in the shop with Audrey II, her getting lured out from the counter by the singing voice, discovering it was from the plant, the conversation with the plant trying to coax her into giving it a drink of water, and ending as it always did, the plant saying, "_**AND NOW IT'S SUPPERTIME!**_" and wrapping its vine around Helen and pulling her into its maw, except that Seymour had come in just as the plant was eating her and saved her. But by the time he had, she was already dead.

Even when she wasn't under the same roof with the plant, she still had nightmares about the plant.

"No more," Helen whimpered, hugging her legs and rocking like a mental patient in a mental hospital, while glancing out her bedroom window at the flower shop where Audrey II was. "Let it end."

With that, she pulled out her diary and began writing.

_October 29, 1960_

_My hand trembles even as I write this new entry after having one of my nightmares about the Audrey II, diary. My brother's been acting weird ever since he first brought that plant into the shop and that plant began growing (you should see it now, it's so big it's almost touching the ceiling). My nightmares about the Audrey II haven't let up. They've been growing increasingly worse and even more realistic ever since Mr. Mushnik disappeared and the shop gained more attention from the media. And I can't help but wonder what the nightmares are trying to tell me. One of the last nightmares I had of the Audrey II was about Audrey II eating Mr. Mushnik and Seymour just standing by and watching. Seymour hasn't been telling me something and I'm starting to wonder if..._

Helen stopped herself from writing anything further and shuddered, before she glanced out her window when she had the feeling that something was watching her. Her eyes landed back on the flower shop and the enormous plant. There was no way that plant could have been watching her…could it? Shaking her head, she went back to writing in her diary.

_Diary, I'm scared, no, afraid. Something is off about that plant, but I don't know what. I can only hope that I will find out, yet I shudder to think about what will happen when and if I do._


	9. Nightmare Come To Life

Thanks to **showtunediva** for reviewing!

* * *

><p>The next day, the flower shop was all set up for a TV show, the first gardening show on the network someone had told her. She and Audrey were standing behind the counter, watching the talk show announcer talk about Audrey II.<p>

Once her brother had stumbled into the flower shop, after going through a whole crowd of people outside of the flower shop, he took notice of how big the plant was and muttered, "Oh my God."

"And here he is himself, Mr. Seymour Krelborn!" The talk show announcer said. Helen and Audrey both clapped, but Helen did it reluctantly. "Mr. Krelborn, there are many questions the people in our television audience have for you. Come and tell our viewers at home and elsewhere about this particularly amazing cultural phenomenon that's made you one of the most talked about plant scientists in the country-" Suddenly, the plant's pod fell over and Helen noticed Seymour looking at in concern and what looked like fear. "Cut!" The announcer said. "What happened to the goddamned greenery?"

"It just needs to be fed," Seymour replied.

"So, feed it," the announcer said.

"I can't feed it," Seymour said. "Not now."

"Then I'll feed it," the announcer said. "Where's the plant food?"

Helen was about to go and get it, until her brother said, "It doesn't eat plant food. And I can't feed it now."

That made Helen concerned, as she thought, _What do you mean it doesn't eat plant food?_

"Leave me alone, all of you," Seymour said, before his voice started to become frantic, as he said, "Get out of here. Go away! Leave me alone! Everybody go away!"

"Seymour, what's wrong?" Helen said, as she and Audrey came over to Seymour. In her case, the fact that her brother hadn't been telling her much of anything since the plant came into the shop had been forgotten.

"Leave me alone!" Seymour continued to yell, until Audrey gently slapped him to snap him out of it.

"You're hysterical," Audrey told him.

"I know, I'm sorry," Seymour said, before he opened the door and ran out of the shop.

"Seymour!" Helen called, but he ignored her.

* * *

><p>About a moment later, everyone, including the TV people had left the shop, and Audrey had gone out to find Seymour to tell him something important about what the TV people had told her and Audrey. Helen had spotted Audrey running to the shop, before she came in excitedly.<p>

"Helen, Helen, you're never gonna believe this!" Audrey said.

"What, Audrey?" Helen said. "What's wrong? What is it?"

"Seymour proposed to me," Audrey said. "We're getting married tonight at the town hall!"

Helen stared in surprise, before she let out an excited scream and she and Audrey happily danced around.

"Oh, Audrey, this is fantastic!" Helen said. "Congratulations! What's gonna happen?"

"Right after the wedding, we're gonna spend a night in a hotel and we're coming back to do the gardening show tomorrow! Then we're all leaving this place for good!"

"Oh, wonderful!" Helen said. She glanced over at the plant, thinking, _Maybe, the nightmares will stop once we leave this place._

"One more thing, Helen," Audrey said. "Would you be my maid of honor?"

"Oh my God, yes!" Helen exclaimed. "I'll go shopping for a dress and get my hair done right now!"

* * *

><p>That night, after getting a dress, an elegant lavender evening gown, and getting her hair done by a good friend of hers, Helen was packing the clothes she had at Audrey's place. Then she walked over to the shop to get the rest of her clothes and belongings. Once she came into the shop, the shop was empty and she glanced at the plant, before she quickly sidestepped the vines and walked over to the door which led down to where she and her brother lived. She was about to open the door when she heard a singing voice.<p>

_**Hey, little lady, hello**_

"Huh?" Helen said. "Who's there?"

_**You're lookin' cute as can be**_

"Is someone here?" Helen asked.

_**You're looking' mighty sweet**_

"Seymour?" Helen said, tentatively.

Then she heard the voice directly behind her.

_**No, it ain't Seymour!  
><strong>__**It's me!**_

Helen looked behind her and gasped in shock. The plant's pod had lifted up and its trap…maw…thing had moved!

"Holy shit!" Helen gasped.

_**Your friendly Audrey II**_

_**This plant is talkin'…**_

The plant then gestured to her with its vine, saying, "To you."

"I-I don't believe it," Helen said, before she started to have a nagging feeling that this seemed familiar.

"Believe it, baby," Audrey II told her. "It talks!"

"Am-Am I having some kind of weird drug-induced dream?" Helen asked, as she blinked in confusion and then looked around as if somebody other than the plant in front of her could give her a direct answer.

"No," the plant said. "And you ain't in Kansas neither!"

"Something's very wrong here," Helen muttered, while thinking to herself, _This all seems a little familiar, but I don't know why…_

"Relax and go with it, sweetheart," the plant said. "Do me a favor, would you, puddin' pie?"

"Uh…sure?" Helen said.

"I need me some water in the worst way," Audrey II said. "Look at my branches. I'm dryin' up. I'm a goner, honey!" Then he started to sing again.

_**Come on and give me a drink!**_

The feeling that this was familiar started to grow stronger, as Helen said, "Well, I don't know if I should."

_**Hey, little lady, be nice**_

The plant's vines snaked into her dress, lifting it up a little, and Helen quickly pushed it down, saying, "If that's all you need? Do you usually talk to my brother this way?"

_**Sure do, I'll drink it straight**_

Helen quickly glanced at the vines wrapped around her waist, before she said, "Your leaves are drying up, you poor thing."

_**Don't need no glass or no ice**_

Getting a little uneasy, Helen thought to herself, _I'll just give him the watering can, then I'll go down and pack the rest of my stuff._

"I'll-I'll go get the can," Helen said, pushing the vines off of her waist. Then she went behind the counter to search for the watering can.

_**Don't need no twist of lime**_

Finally, Helen found the watering can and said, "Here it is and here we go!"

And then the plant said the four words that had been haunting her nightmares and gave her a hint why this was seeming familiar: "_**AND NOW IT'S SUPPERTIME!**_"

Before Helen could drop the can and run away, the plant's vines wrapped around the hand holding the can, making her drop it, and her wrist, along with her shoulder and waist.

"Hey!" Helen yelled in horror, as the plant laughed evilly.

Helen started screaming and panicking, as the plant said, "Oh, relax, doll face, and it'll be easier! Come join Audrey's dentist friend and Mushnik!"

At this, Helen screamed, "**WHAT?**"

The plant added, sinisterly, "They're right inside."

Helen could only scream, as the laughing plant pulled her towards its maw just like in her nightmares. Once she'd landed inside of its maw and it started chewing on her, Helen began struggling to get out. As she did, she didn't hear the door to the flower shop open.

"Helen, no! Get offa' her! Get off!"

She heard her brother run over and try to open the pod's maw, but Helen felt the pod lift and she started to stop struggling, as her brother grabbed her ankles and pulled the pod down. She felt the pressure on her body suddenly ease, as she felt her brother forcing the pod's trap open. But she was too weak to sit up, so all her brother could do was grab her hand and pull her out of the plant. He quickly helped her run towards the side exit, as the plant's laughter sounded ominously behind them.

Once they had gotten out of the shop, Seymour asked his sister, "Are you okay, Helen?"

"Yes," Helen said, nodding. "Yes, I'm…" But then, she stopped when she felt something warm and sticky coming out of her side and they both simultaneously glanced down. On the right side of her dress, there was a hole in it, along with a blood spot that was starting to grow bigger. Then Helen looked at her brother and shook her head, saying, "No, I'm not." before she promptly fell over.

"Helen!" Seymour yelled in concern, picking his sister up as she whimpered in pain.

Then he thought of Audrey. Oh no, had she gone to the flower shop? Quickly, he ran to the front, carrying his sister. When he didn't see her in the flower shop near the plant, he sighed in relief and quickly ran to Audrey's apartment, while trying to stanch the bleeding wound on Helen's side.

He quickly knocked on the door, yelling, "Audrey! Audrey!"

Audrey opened the door, saying, "Seymour, what's…" Then she noticed Helen in his arms. "Oh my God, what happened to her?"

"Audrey II got at her," Seymour said. Before Audrey could ask, he said, "I'll explain later. Meet me at the hospital."

"Alright, I'll be right there," Audrey said.

Then Seymour ran out of her apartment and began running through Skid Row to get his sister to the hospital. He knew he should've called for an ambulance, but he hadn't. As far as he was concerned, it was his fault for not telling Helen about what had really been happening ever since the plant had arrived in the shop, so he was going to set it right by taking her there himself.

As the hospital came into view, Helen whimpered, "Seymour, it hurts."

"We're almost there, Helen," Seymour said. "Just stay with me for a little while longer, okay?"

Once he ran into the hospital, he shouted, "Help, help! My sister needs help!"

Helen was immediately taken out of his arms and put on a stretcher and wheeled into the ER, while he watched helplessly, praying that his sister would be okay. If she wasn't, he'd never forgive himself for this for as long as he lived.


End file.
